16.1.5—Acidity of alcohols compared with water

An alcohol can donate O–H hydrogen, but its conjugate base RO⁻ is less stabilised than hydroxide in water. Alcohols therefore ionise only slightly and are weaker acids than water.

The C–O bond and alkyl groups influence electron density, but the key comparison is the equilibrium and conjugate-base stability. Sodium reacts because it removes the acidic O–H hydrogen, not because alcohol is a strong acid.

2ROH + 2Na → 2RONa + H₂, while an alcohol does not neutralise aqueous sodium hydroxide as a typical acid would.

“Weak acid” does not mean no reaction; it means a small equilibrium ionisation under the stated solvent conditions.